- Trump insults Kamala Harris, she countered, "We deserve better"
In Chicago, the city where Democrats are set to nominate Kamala Harris as their presidential candidate, former Republican President Donald Trump appeared at the National Association of Black Journalists and quickly stirred up trouble. Not just with those present, but with many Americans, voters, and especially Kamala Harris.
"The Same Old Show: Divisiveness and Disrespect"
"Those four years are still fresh in our minds, and today we've had a little reminder," commented the Democrat to students in Houston, Texas, responding to Trump's remarks: "It's the same old show: divisiveness and disrespect. Let me say this: the American people deserve better. They deserve someone at the helm who tells the truth. Someone who doesn't react to facts with anger and hate."
Harris also spoke to a predominantly black audience at the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, earning enthusiastic applause when she struck a unifying tone: "We deserve a leadership that understands that our differences do not divide us, but are the source of our strength."
"Harris Wants to be Known as Black"
In a routine press appearance, former US President Donald Trump personally attacked Kamala Harris and made fun of her heritage: "She was always of Indian descent and only started playing that card," he said of her. "I didn't know she was black until she suddenly became black a few years ago. And now she wants to be known as black."
The former US President continued, "Well, I don't know: is she Indian or is she black?" He said he respects both, but Harris herself does not seem to, given her "flip-flop" on the issue. "I think someone should look into that."
Harris' Father from Jamaica, Mother from India
Harris is the first woman, the first black person, and the first person of Asian descent to take the oath as US Vice President. Born in Oakland, California, her father immigrated from Jamaica to study economics, and her mother, a cancer researcher and civil rights activist, came from India.
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The stern team on the ground keeps you informed every Saturday in the free newsletter "Inside America" about the most important developments and gives insights into how Americans really view their country. After entering your email address, you will receive a confirmation email. Your data will always be treated confidentially. Harris' campaign reacted before her appearance with a post on X, formerly Twitter, to Trump's statements. The hostility he showed on stage, they said, was "the same hostility he has shown throughout his life, during his presidency, and during his campaign for the presidency." Chaos and division, they said, characterized Trump's entire campaign.
Donald Trump Already Lied About Barack Obama
The White House also reacted angrily. Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre called the remarks "offensive" and "reprehensible." Jean-Pierre, the second black woman to hold the spokesperson position in the White House, said: "No one has the right to tell someone who they are or how they identify."
Trump had already given racist conspiracy theories room in 2020 before Harris' inauguration. They questioned whether she could even become vice president, as her parents were not U.S. citizens at her birth. Years earlier, Trump had participated in conspiracy theories that challenged former President Barack Obama's birthplace, and thus his qualification for the highest office. Trump was then one of the most prominent proponents of the theory that Obama was born in Kenya. Obama, the first black president of the United States, was born in the U.S. state of Hawaii.
"Done more for blacks than any president since Lincoln"
In May, the native New Yorker Trump surprised with an appearance in the South Bronx. The almost exclusively black and Latino population rarely votes Republican. In Crotona Park, he confidently stated about his presidency: "We've done more for the black population than any other president since Abraham Lincoln." Lincoln had led a bloody war against the seceding Southern states over slavery and abolished it in 1865.
While black voters traditionally overwhelmingly vote for Democrats, they have also become interesting to Republicans in recent years. According to the latest polls, Trump can count on at least 20 percent of black voters. However, these numbers are from before Joe Biden's withdrawal as presidential candidate. Half of African Americans rejected him, as many did Donald Trump.
Donald Trump receives support from his vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance: Asked about Trump's remarks, he said the reactions were "hysterical." He added, "I think he highlighted the basic chameleon-like nature of Kamala Harris. She's flipped on every issue. She's a liar. She's a liar."
"Despite being in the midst of the US election campaign, former President Trump's appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists continued to stir up controversy and divide opinions, not just among attendees, but also among voters and especially Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris."
"Following Trump's remarks during the election campaign, Kamala Harris emphasized the need for unity and a leader who respects truth and diversity, stating, 'We deserve a leadership that understands that our differences do not divide us, but are the source of our strength.'"
